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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28036281">The Good List</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/VaultOfMelkurMistress/pseuds/VaultOfMelkurMistress'>VaultOfMelkurMistress</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Vault Stories [9]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Doctor Who (2005)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Christmas in the vault, Decorating A Tree, F/M, Fluff, Fun, Light-Hearted, MasterWorks50, Soft Ending, santa, twissy</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-11 00:00:47</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,035</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28036281</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/VaultOfMelkurMistress/pseuds/VaultOfMelkurMistress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Prompt: Letter</p><p>Missy writes a letter to Santa with her Christmas gift demands, because she hasn't murdered anyone lately....unless you include the ones she actually has. Nardole is very cross and the Doctor and Missy have a soft, fluffy moment, because I can't help it. It's comedy that ends in total fluff because it's what Twissy deserve.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Twelfth Doctor/Missy</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Vault Stories [9]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1944550</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Twissy Stories</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>The Good List</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I don't think I will ever stop making these two happy &lt;3</p><p>I have many partially written painful hurt/comfort and angst stories that I haven't put online, because my heart always steers me to giving them joy, and I think it does good for my heart.</p><p>Also...I accidentally deleted comments for another fic. Apologies, I didn't realise delete meant properly delete and not just move them from my inbox🙈</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The Doctor stood, his bewildered gaze repeatedly moving between, Missy, who sat looking quite pleased with herself and the beautifully written letter in his hands. </p><p>A letter addressed to Santa.</p><p>He wasn’t sure whether to question her grip on reality, or treat it with humour - he wanted to roll his eyes, laugh and drink tea, but she did seem rather….confident. Shaking his head, he sat down beside her and read the letter again.</p><p>My Dear Santa,</p><p>I am an ex evil queen, well, <em> sort of </em>...I mean, I have absolutely no wish, care or concern for any of the ridiculous squishables on this planet, but I don’t plan to wipe them all out, neither do I want to randomly kill any of them - it left me with quite the unpleasant feeling for simply days, after that incident with the pizza. I learned though you see - reacting to situations in that way means that no pizza companies will ever deliver to my cosy little vault again. So, I clearly have made massive progress because I have learned all manner of good things etc etc. </p><p>Now, given that I clearly qualify for the good list, I have some demands...I’m fairly sure that;s how a Christmas List works. Please supply the following, wrapped elaborately, with big sparkly ribbons, under a tree, and also deliver a tree because for some reason the grumpy one AND the butler seem terrified of me having a tree indoors to place shiny objects on. Last time I checked I wasn’t a cat, not even had any feline urges in simply ages. </p><p>Anyway, here are my demands in recompense for the lack of mass homicide and keeping all of my clever plans in my special book and not actually doing  ̶a̶n̶y̶  most of them:</p><p>A 2kg vat of acid</p><p>Mascara, black, Super Extending</p><p>One of those indoor trees </p><p>A perfectly innocent woodcraft set, WITHOUT the sharp tools removed </p><p>A new Nintendo Switch, the last one became terribly useful for a clever reason</p><p>A hydrogen bonding compressor (unrelated to the above reason)</p><p>A 92 inch smart TV</p><p>A sonic device so I can upgrade the TV and ACTUALLY make it smart</p><p>2 sheets of tungsten and 2 sheets of titanium</p><p>A hair crimper</p><p>Lots of sweets</p><p>50 miniature laser pointers, the ones cats like - actually make it 250.</p><p>A gramophone and every record from my Amazon wish list</p><p>Amazon - for very good reasons etc etc and nothing at ALL evil</p><p>The Doctor in a Santa outfit</p><p>Alcohol, lots of</p><p>My Tissue Compression Eliminator back (please see attached directions to the Doctor’s TARDIS and the combination to his safe)<br/>
A furnished dollhouse - dolls not required. (unrelated to the above request)</p><p> </p><p>Yours in total goodness and all that stuff</p><p>Missy xoxo</p><p> </p><p>The Doctor placed the letter down on the table and sighed deeply before turning to her. </p><p>“Firstly, we need to talk about pizza deliveries.”</p><p>“I know,” she said, lounging back in her chair and rolling her eyes. “One little incident and it’s like my vault has some kind of warning attached to it. I miss pizza Doctor, it’s not entirely fair.”</p><p>“What did you do?” he asked with a resigned sigh as he massaged the bridge of his nose with his thumb and finger - a headache already beginning to form. </p><p>“I specifically said no peppers,” she said, eyes wide with outrage. </p><p>“The pizza had peppers…” he began, wishing he had never found the letter.</p><p>“Yes! So I’m sure you can sympathise - my pizza experience was ruined!”</p><p>“Missy….what did you <em> do </em>?”</p><p>“He was really rather unpleasant, but don’t worry, before anything at all happened I asked him a series of prepared questions from a list I had drawn up for a situation exactly such as that.”</p><p>“You...interviewed him?”</p><p>“Yes! Are you pleased?” she said with a bright smile, before continuing, not bothering to wait for his answer. “I could have just vaporised him where he stood, but I have grown as a person, my morality is really quite impressive.”</p><p>“So you...let him walk away..” the Doctor said doubtfully. </p><p>“No, I killed him. His morality was worse than MINE! Well...in theory, at least I don’t hate any of these ridiculous humans. I’m not bothered about the human race at <em> all </em>, but some of these humans - honestly Doctor, he was ignorant and really, this planet you like so much is improved now he went pop, so you’re welcome!”</p><p>“Missy, even if someone holds morally abhorrent views - you can't just kill them,” he said, shaking his head as he regarded her, realising that she still seemed just as bright and happy as she had when he had discovered her letter to Santa in the first place. “Murder, isn’t ever a good thing.”</p><p>“Oh really? What a shame, thought I found a loophole. What about ruined mexican food?”</p><p>“No. Pizza, mexican...all takeaway food - no murder loopholes.”</p><p>“Hmm...and there’s REALLY no loophole for the ickier humans?”</p><p>“No Missy, as tempting as that seems, no murder,” he paused and noticed the genuine look of disappointment and confusion she wore. </p><p>“Assessing his character before vaporising him , was…..”</p><p>She sat up, her expression of confusion turning to one of such utter hope that he wanted to kiss her. </p><p>“Definite progress Missy. It’s really very good that you’re considering what makes a good person...you just can’t wipe out the ones who don’t make the grade - there’s always potential for change, always hope.”</p><p>Missy sat back, a frustrated sigh as she shook her head before meeting his eyes with a small smile.</p><p>“I did good then?”</p><p>“Apart from the murder, yes.”</p><p>Missy broke into a grin and clapped her hands together making the Doctor break into a smile himself that he couldn’t help. </p><p>“Opening the vault doors...is a topic that is going to the top of the Important Issues list though…”</p><p>“Oh, I didn’t open it, so I still qualify for the good list.”</p><p>“If you didn’t...how did you vaporise the undesirable pizza delivery person?”</p><p>“Nardy opened it.”</p><p>“Nardole..”</p><p>“Yep, he doesn’t remember though, best no bring that up.”</p><p>“Definitely, best not,” he agreed. “Perhaps we should add ‘not hypnotising Nardole to do things for you, because that doesn’t mean you’re in the clear’ to the list.”</p><p>Missy smirked and made a little bounce in her chair - the Doctor turned his attention again to the list, with a smile. </p><p>“No acid, we've been through that -  nothing involving lasers, we could do wood crafting together...but I don’t leave the tools here - you terrified Nardole just with a quill from a calligraphy set.”</p><p>“And now you make me write in cheap plastic biro pens, it’s just not dignified. I am an elegant lady!”</p><p>The Doctor laughed, almost agreeing to the alcohol and forgetting to question the doll house. He adored moments like these between them - light, happy, humorous. Such moments had become more and more frequent and expected over recent years and he found himself yearning for it, but immediately marred by his own internal admonishment for daring to believe that such ease and comfortable time together could be genuine and a possibility for their future. </p><p>Yet there they were - laughing, joking, and Missy...making an effort to understand morality, even if her desire and interest was really so different to his own. </p><p>“We could get the doll house and I could bring you actual dolls. You could pretend you’ve shrunk them!”</p><p>“Hmmmm. Can I terrorise Nardole by telling him the dead shrunken human’s tragic backstories to send a chill through him so he makes that squeaking noise and runs out in fright?”</p><p>“<em>Once</em>, and only if you promise not to hypnotise him again.”</p><p>“Oh you DO drive a hard bargain. FINE Doctor, I won't hypnotise him as long as I can scare the life out of him,” she said with a smiles as she extended her hand. </p><p>The Doctor rolled his eyes as he shook her hand, glancing back at the list - you can’t have Amazon - far too much temptation there for evil - what do you want titanium and tungsten for?"</p><p>“I want to experiment with weaving metal threaded boning into the structure of my corset - kept meaning to work on building protection before we began our little domestic arrangement - protects my entire torso, so makes sense to laser proof it - well after I had a dream about a nasty incident with a laser. It’s purely a self defense experiment, promise honey,”</p><p>“Ok, let’s work on it together though - some of the equipment you would need might be a little tempting.”</p><p>“Wonderful, so that’s all settled and as you have READ SANTA’S PRIVATE MAIL I can only assume you <em> are </em> him, so I will be expecting my gifts delivered by you, in costume. And make it goood, I hold very high standards where disguises are concerned.”</p><p>“Missy, I am not dressing as Santa for you."</p><p>“Yes you are,” she said, resolutely.</p><p>“I am definitely not doing that.”</p><p>“Keep telling yourself that - shame to waste the costume.”</p><p>“What costume?” he asked, closing his eyes momentarily in frustration.</p><p>“The one I wrote onto the last shopping list.”</p><p>“Ah….Nardole was so busy pacing back and forth in front of my desk and speaking in an exceptionally high and alarmed voice about your request for a live boa constrictor, that I may have forgotten about the rest of it.”</p><p>“Oh, noted for future reference,” she said, laughing. “<em> Order more snakes. </em> Anyway, that’s settled then. You’ll deliver my presents, as Santa.”</p><p>“I am NOT. Absolutely NOT doing that.”</p><p>“At least bring me a tree?”</p><p>“Have you ever, in all your lives, wanted to dress a Christmas tree?”</p><p>“No, but I’m BORED and I’m stuck here so why not?”<br/>
<br/>
</p><p>Three days passed. Three days where Nardole had lost a bet and refused point blank to ever speak to the Doctor again. The Doctor was relieved that Nardole’s outraged objections had quietened for a while but it wasn’t long before it became frustrating. He liked Nardole's company, he wanted to talk to him, and no one else understood his frustrations at being so very stuck on earth….most of the time. He could talk to Missy but that was dangerously tempting. Lately, he feared a few words and their eyes meeting and her own yearning coupled with his and he would be far too tempted to take her hand and run. </p><p>He watched as Nardole placed a tray of tea down on the desk with a loud clatter, giving him an utterly disgusted look and a long hard, disapproving stare before turning around and making a point of unnecessarily tidying the room which involved walking in and out repeatedly slamming the door every time. After the SIXTH time, the Doctor flinched at the sound in utter frustration </p><p>“NARDOLE!” </p><p>Nardole spun around, folded his arms and regarded the Doctor with the crossest expression he had ever seen. </p><p>He tried not to laugh. </p><p>“This is very childish Nardole, you have to speak to me eventually, this silent treatment can’t last forever.”</p><p>Nardole cast an even more determined look, very hard, at the Doctor. </p><p>“You can’t keep it up beyond the next hour - it would be reneging on the terms of our bet if you didn’t...throw yourself into your forfeit,” the Doctor said, his eyes flitting to the outfit hanging on the back of the door, with considerable mirth, which only wound up Nardole even more.</p><p>Nardole grabbed the hanger, marching out of the door with a final slam. The Doctor smiled as he jumped up and picked up a bag of decorations, slinging it over his shoulder as he headed toward his TARDIS until Nardole’s voice came from the other side of the door. </p><p>“Don’t even think about taking that tree to the vault in your TARDIS. If I have to do...this...you’re dragging that tree down there by yourself.”</p><p>“Fine Nardole,” the Doctor said, as he walked into his TARDIS and straight back out again, awkwardly dragging a very large fir tree, stopping and breaking into a grin at the sight of Nardole, who glared at him. “Talking to me now, perfect timing, let’s go surprise Missy.”</p><p>“Surprise Missy,” Nardole said under his breath accompanied by a variety of swear words picked up from multiple planets and a thoroughly annoyed scowl as he marched toward the vault, dragging a sack stuffed full of items he just KNEW hadn’t been screened for safety and wanting the night over with before it had even begun. “If I die tonight, I’m holding you fully responsible.”</p><p>“You won’t die Nardole, she’ll be very happy, where is your Christmas spirit?”</p><p>“It disappeared the day I lost this bet,” he said, shaking his head as his boots thudded against the steps as they made their way down into the basement and toward the vault doors, his only tiny shred of satisfaction being the considerable difficulty the Doctor was having in dragging the tree all the way to the vault doors. </p><p>The Doctor knocked, a broad grin on his face that only made Nardole even more annoyed. He turned and frowned. “Nardole, come on now, a forfeit is a forfeit, if I had lost, I would have happily worn that”</p><p>“Fine,” Nardole said, stamping his foot as he coughed, preparing himself to endure the worst night of his life. </p><p>“I have a surprise for you!” he said, and Nardole flinched at the thought of the indignity he was about to endure. </p><p>“Ho, ho, bloody ho,” Nardole said.</p><p>The Doors opened and they stepped inside, Missy standing up and stepping forward before stopping and clasping her hands together, breaking into the happiest and most joyous laugh the Doctor had heard her make in seventy years. </p><p>“You brought a tree! AND SANTA!”</p><p>“HO, HO, HO! MERRY CHRISTMAS AND ALL THAT. Also killing Santa will put you on the bad list for the next 930 years,” Nardole said, reaching up to adjust the thick white beard that was irritating him quickly. "Don't think I won't haunt this vault."</p><p>Missy ran up and threw her arms around the Doctor’s neck, planting a big kiss square on his mouth and laughing against his lips as his hands settled on her waist and he smiled warmly, returning her kiss before smiling and glancing at Nardole. </p><p>“The script I wrote Nardole…”</p><p>“Fine,” Nardole said, rolling his eyes. “The elves..well the big grumpy annoying elf over there, says you’re on the good list and you have presents...non lethal presents!”</p><p>“Presents!” Missy laughed and spun around, glancing at the Doctor, who stood, half leaning against the giant tree and half attempting to keep it upright as he watched her gleefully taking each present Nardole handed her and ripping off the paper, making the most delighted sounds of joy at each gift - ignoring Nardole’s squeal of panic at the titanium.</p><p>“I knew all this being good was worth it!” Missy said, Nardole rolling his eyes and the Doctor choosing to not mention the vaporised delivery person or the time she removed Nardole’s arm. </p><p>“Keep it up, ho, ho ho, I must go now,” he said, clutching his empty sack to his chest as he began to retreat backwards, step by step toward the vault doors. “Well done for making the good list, and leaving Santa alive...ho, ho ho...BYE!” </p><p>Missy laughed as she sat on the floor, surrounded by her presents and torn wrapping paper and ribbon, turning to look at the Doctor with utter joy, before jumping to her feet and dashing to the tree, catching it just as he let it slip from his grasp. Missy steadied it until the Doctor located the base from his bag, finally securing the tree and tipping out the decorations and lights, expecting Missy to excitedly take over and decorate the tree immediately and feeling a flash of warmth as she took the bundle of ornaments  held in her arms and tipped half of them into the Doctor’s hands. He couldn’t help the smile that formed every time he met her eyes from the opposite side of the tree. He watched her through the branches as she chewed her lip in concentration, carefully positioning ornaments with a light shining in her eyes that filled his hearts with a hope he felt utterly terrified for allowing to burst from the locked depths of his hearts. He was broken from his thoughts eventually, as he suddenly noticed he was left holding the final ornament - a large star. </p><p>“I’m doing it,” she said, and if the firmness of her words didn’t sway him, the happiness dancing in her eyes most certainly did.</p><p>The Doctor dragged a chair over, contemplating the risk of her falling and hoping she did it fast as he planted one foot firmly on the ground and the other on the seat of the chair, offering her his hand as she hopped up onto the chair, precariously propelling herself up to balance on the backrest of the chair, the Doctor’s hands flying out to grasp her just below her hips and hope she would keep balanced for long enough to place the star and get back to the ground before they ended up in a heap on the ground. </p><p>He could only smile as she performed the entire maneuver with the agility and grace of a cat, stretching up and positioning the star perfectly,before, with every ounce of trust in him, she dropped back to the seat with only his around her hips for support. There was no need at all to jump from the seat of the chair into his arms, but she did so anyway, laughing as he staggered from the unexpected weight of his oldest friend now in his arms, palms pressed flat against his cheeks as she kissed him. </p><p>He could only kiss her back, to do anything else would be dishonest afterall. He kept a tight hold of her in his arms as he broke their kiss, placing a kiss on her forehead and she snuggled against his shoulder, her arms around his neck as they both looked up at the star, impossibly high on the top of the tree. </p>
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